Causes and Consequences of Domestic Violence among Married Women in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State

The study investigated the causes and consequences of domestic violence among married women in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Two research questions and their corresponding null hypotheses were used to guide the study. The population for the study comprises of all married women in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State which comprised both Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Area. The population of the study was made of 37,801 married women. A sample size of 554 married women was used for the study. A researcher developed instrument titled Domestic Violence Causes and Consequences Inventory (DVCCI) was used for data collection. The face and content validities of the instruments was determined by the dissertation supervisor and one expert each in counselling psychology and measurement and evaluation. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha Technique with coefficients of 0.82 and 0.92 obtained for the sections on causes and consequences respectively. Mean was used to answer the research questions, while independent samples t-tests and Analysis of Variance was used where applicable. Testing of the hypotheses was done at 0.05 level of significance. The major results from the study were that there is a high incidence of domestic violence against women in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State. The major factor driving this problem is the family history of abuse by the partner. This results in physical bruises and injuries. Based on the results obtained, it was recommended that there should be greater awareness on the options available to women who are exposed to domestic violence because when women have a clear understanding of these options and the resources available to them, they are better able to make informed choices and leave their abusive spouses. ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | May 30, 2023